NEW JERSEY TURNPIKE ACCIDENT VICTIM NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH

We have previously written that the New Jersey Turnpike is hot spot for serious crashes, including car and truck accidents. Factors like road construction only exacerbate the dangers already present from a high volume of traffic and dangerous drivers.

Yesterday, a commercial driver for a New Jersey company had his van destroyed on the Turnpike in an incident that was apparently caused by a nearby construction crew. Miraculously, he escaped relatively unscathed from a bizarre accident that easily could have been fatal.

The 63-year-old man was driving along the Turnpike in Mercer County at approximately 8 a.m. yesterday morning while a construction crane just off the highway was in the process of lifting a large piece of metal.

Suddenly, the metal beam swung into the line of traffic and smashed into the man’s Econoline van, completely taking off the vehicle’s roof, according to New Jersey State Police.

Amazingly, the man survived the accident. He did suffer injuries, including a broken thumb, cuts on his head that required stitches and cuts on his hand. His vehicle, however, was in much worse shape.

A tow-truck operator who responded to the accident said: “I can’t believe he walked away. I mean the entire passenger side and the roof were peeled off the van completely. It looks like a convertible.”

For now, the man and his family are simply celebrating the fact that he survived. However, attitudes may change as the incident is investigated. If the accident was caused by negligence on the part of the construction company or anyone else, the driver may be able to seek compensation for injuries and vehicle damage.